{"version":"1.0.0","episode":{"title":"005 | Top 10 Best-Selling Electric Vehicles of 2025: Real Talk with Courage","url":"http://getcarcurious.com/episodes/005-top-10-best-selling-electric-vehicles-of-2025-real-talk-with-courage","audioUrl":"https://anchor.fm/s/1091187bc/podcast/play/109914788/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2025-9-20%2F5f3e04ac-da16-a1b8-b034-222d361707b2.mp3","description":"Are EVs actually cool… or just overhyped appliances with torque?In this episode of Cool Cars with Chris, I sit down with my good friend Courage (yes, that’s his real name — we get into it) to talk all things EV in 2025. From Tesla drag strip dominance to battery drama, we unpack the truth behind electric vehicles today.We cover the real pros and cons of EV ownership, including:🔋 Battery life and charging cycles🏁 The insane speed of even the “boring” EVs📉 Range anxiety and road trip nightmares☀️ My dream for solar-powered hoods (Tesla, call me)And yes — we count down the Top 10 Best-Selling EVs in the U.S. for 2025. Some will surprise you. Some will offend your car guy soul. Some… are Teslas (duh).🚗 Topics We Hit:EV vs gas car convenience in real lifeWhat makes an EV fun (or not)The F-150 Lightning's party trick that might backfireCourage’s EV rental experience (spoiler: range anxiety is real)The EV we’d actually buy (if we had to)Whether you're team gas, team electric, or just here for the jokes — this episode has something for every kind of car fan.👂Hit play and let’s get into it.Cool Cars with Chris00:00 – 🎙️ Intro: Are EVs even cool? 00:27 – 🧔🏾‍♂️ Courage is back! Name origin + childhood stories 02:18 – 🧔🏾‍♂️ Why Courage thinks his name helped him stand out 03:18 – ⚡ EVs in 2025: Hype or hassle? 04:12 – 🏁 Drag racing Teslas and EV performance  05:20 – 🎧 The hidden costs of making EV batteries  06:50 – 🔋 Battery tech, charging cycles & the recycling problem  08:02 – 🎧 How long do EV batteries really last?  10:35 – ⚡ Why charging to 100% is bad for EVs  12:11 – 🚙 F-150 Lightning and power backup features  13:45 – 🎧 EV vs gas car convenience  14:33 – 📉 “Range anxiety” is real  15:17 – 🚗 Courage’s Tesla rental story  16:07 – ⚡ EV driving feel & one-pedal braking  18:09 – ⚡ Are EVs fun to drive?  20:00 – 📉 Long drives & charging station gaps  21:53 – 🎧 EV road trip planning headaches  22:38 – ☀️ Chris’s dream: Solar panels that actually charge your EV  23:47 – 🔄 Range extenders and hybrid tech explained  25:13 – 🔄 Are hybrids actually the best of both worlds?  26:47 – 🔊 Fake engine noise on EVs – cool or cringe?  27:54 – 🚨 PSA: Stop parking your Tesla at gas pumps  28:40 – 🎧 What car guys *really* hate about EVs  30:14 – 🏙️ EVs for city driving vs long hauls  31:28 – 💡 Grid strain, infrastructure, and the future of EVs  31:41 – ⚡ Top 10 Best-Selling EVs of 2025 (countdown starts!)  33:35 – 🛻 Tesla Cybertruck – hate it or love it?  34:56 – 🇰🇷 Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the performance EV scene  38:07 – 🐎 Is the Mustang Mach-E a real Mustang?  39:26 – 🇺🇸 Chevy’s SUV-heavy EV lineup  41:52 – 🚗 Tesla takes the crown: Model Y & Model 3  44:14 – ✅ Wrap-up: Would we buy an EV right now?  #ElectricVehicles #CoolCarsPodcast #CarPodcast #EVPodcast #AutoTalks #EVs2025 #ElectricCars2025 #TopEVs #EVTrends #BestEVs #EVPerformance #EVBatteries #RangeAnxiety #BatteryTech #EVCharging #TeslaModelY #Model3 #Cybertruck #FordLightning #MustangMachE #PodcastEpisode #NewPodcastDrop #CarTalks #PodcastForCarLovers #CarGuysUnite\n"},"annotations":[{"startTime":243.0,"endTime":252.0,"type":"car","title":"Tesla Model Y","url":"/cars/tesla/model-y","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Tesla_Model_Y_%282025%29_MYLE_Festival_2025_DSC_9565.jpg","quote":"...t come out and like they'll bring just like their Model Y just straight looks like they drove it, you know,...","canonicalId":"car:tesla:model y","priority":0.7,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"Alexander Migl (CC BY-SA 4.0)"}},{"startTime":714.0,"endTime":720.0,"type":"car","title":"Ford F150 Lightning","url":"/cars/ford/f-150-lightning","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/2022_Ford_F-150_Lightning_Rear.jpg","quote":"I'm sure different cars, different EV cars have different sized batteries, right? So like the one on say the F 150 lightning is way bigger than I'm assuming the one on the out of them. Maybe the model that was a model three, maybe.","canonicalId":"car:ford:f-150 lightning","priority":0.7,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"UltraTech66 (CC BY-SA 4.0)"}},{"startTime":724.0,"endTime":728.0,"type":"car","title":"Hummer Ev","url":"/cars/hummer/ev-suv","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/GMC_HUMMER_EV_SUV_BT1UG_Void_Black_%281%29.jpg","quote":"... massive one, probably the record is probably the Hummer EV or something. It's probably one of the largest li...","canonicalId":"car:hummer:ev suv","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"Damian B Oh (CC BY-SA 4.0)"}},{"startTime":807.0,"endTime":811.0,"type":"car","title":"Dodge Charger","url":"/cars/dodge/charger","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/1970_Dodge_Charger_R-T_Hirschaid_22-20220709-RM-120204.jpg","quote":"... I've never I've only used it for like a computer charger really. It's only ever used it for.","canonicalId":"car:dodge:charger","priority":0.7,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"Ermell (CC BY-SA 4.0)"}},{"startTime":1146.0,"endTime":1151.0,"type":"car","title":"Tesla Model 3","url":"/cars/tesla/model-3","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Tesla_Model_3%2C_EMS_2024%2C_Essen_%28P1032260%29.jpg","quote":"...ctually felt like it really was like at least the Model 3 that I was in was actually really planted. Like t...","canonicalId":"car:tesla:model 3","priority":0.7,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"Matti Blume (CC BY-SA)"}},{"startTime":1520.0,"endTime":1522.0,"type":"car","title":"Toyota Prius","url":"/cars/toyota/prius","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/2014-2021_Toyota_Prius_%CE%B1_Touring_Selection.jpg","quote":"..., I mean, that's, that's how essentially like the Prius and some of these like kind of hybrid systems","canonicalId":"car:toyota:prius","priority":0.7,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"TTTNIS (CC0)"}},{"startTime":1609.0,"endTime":1612.0,"type":"car","title":"Dodge Challenger","url":"/cars/dodge/challenger","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Dodge_Challenger_%281970%29_Hirschaid-20220709-RM-115601.jpg","quote":"Well, what do you think of the, is it the Dodge Challenger EV that had like a motor sound produced out of th...","canonicalId":"car:dodge:challenger","priority":0.7,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"Ermell (CC BY-SA 4.0)"}},{"startTime":1905.0,"endTime":1909.0,"type":"car","title":"Chevrolet Blazer EV","url":"/cars/chevrolet/blazer-ev","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/2024_Chevrolet_Blazer_EV_2LT_AWD_in_Summit_White%2C_front_right%2C_2024-03-31.jpg","quote":"starting number 10, it is the Chevrolet Blazer EV. Now, I know there's a Chevrolet Blazer","canonicalId":"car:chevrolet:blazer ev","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"Elise240SX (CC BY-SA 4.0)"}},{"startTime":1953.0,"endTime":1954.0,"type":"car","title":"Tesla Cybertruck","url":"/cars/tesla/cybertruck","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/2024_Tesla_Cybertruck_Foundation_Series_IMG_0576.jpg","quote":"Oh. Tesla Cybertruck. Yeah.","canonicalId":"car:tesla:cybertruck","priority":0.7,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"Alexander-93 (CC BY-SA 4.0)"}},{"startTime":2025.0,"endTime":2028.0,"type":"car","title":"Volkswagen Id","url":"/cars/volkswagen/id-buzz","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Volkswagen_ID._Buzz_1X7A1610.jpg","quote":"and that is Volkswagen. It's a Volkswagen ID four. Now,","canonicalId":"car:volkswagen:id. buzz","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"Alexander-93 (CC BY-SA 4.0)"}},{"startTime":2093.0,"endTime":2095.0,"type":"car","title":"Honda Prelude","url":"/cars/honda/prelude","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/1982_Honda_Prelude_%2815977118997%29.jpg","quote":"So moving on number six, we got Honda Prelude, probably the Pre-Log,","canonicalId":"car:honda:prelude","priority":0.7,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"Riley from Christchurch, New Zealand (CC BY 2.0)"}},{"startTime":2163.0,"endTime":2164.0,"type":"car","title":"Hyundai Ioniq","url":"/cars/hyundai/ioniq","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Hyundai_Ioniq_5.jpg","quote":"Iconox? Oh, the Ioniq. Ioniq.","canonicalId":"car:hyundai:ioniq","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"TTTNIS (CC0)"}},{"startTime":2246.0,"endTime":2249.0,"type":"car","title":"Hyundai Elantra","url":"/cars/hyundai/elantra","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/2017_Hyundai_Elantra%2C_Windsor%2C_Ontario%2C_2025-07-01.jpg","quote":"...m their regular EV or their regular inline is the Elantra in, but,","canonicalId":"car:hyundai:elantra","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"Crisco 1492 (CC BY-SA 4.0)"}},{"startTime":2278.0,"endTime":2281.0,"type":"car","title":"Ford Mustang","url":"/cars/ford/mustang","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/1966_Ford_Mustang_coupe_white_001.jpg","quote":"So moving on to number four, we have the Ford Mustang Mach-E, which is kind of funny because","canonicalId":"car:ford:mustang","priority":0.7,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"Hans-Jürgen Neubert (CC BY 4.0)"}},{"startTime":2305.0,"endTime":2306.0,"type":"car","title":"Mitsubishi Eclipse","url":"/cars/mitsubishi/eclipse","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/00-02_Mitsubishi_Eclipse.jpg","quote":"Just like it did with the stupid, Mitsubishi Eclipse. It became an SUV.","canonicalId":"car:mitsubishi:eclipse","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"IFCAR (Public domain)"}},{"startTime":2368.0,"endTime":2370.0,"type":"car","title":"Chevrolet Equinox","url":"/cars/chevrolet/equinox","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/CHEVROLET_EQUINOX_PLUS_%28CHEVROLET_EQUINOX_FOURTH_GENERATION%29_China.jpg","quote":"back to Chevrolet, the Chevrolet Equinox EV, which looks like another like blazer.","canonicalId":"car:chevrolet:equinox","priority":0.7,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"Dinkun Chen (CC BY-SA 4.0)"}},{"startTime":2390.0,"endTime":2391.0,"type":"car","title":"Ford Bronco","url":"/cars/ford/bronco","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/2022_Ford_Bronco_2.jpg","quote":"Cause there's like off-road SUVs, like the Bronco or whatever. And they got this thing,","canonicalId":"car:ford:bronco","priority":0.7,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"Calreyn88 (CC BY-SA 4.0)"}},{"startTime":2463.0,"endTime":2465.0,"type":"car","title":"Ford Explorer","url":"/cars/ford/explorer","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Ford_Explorer_EV_Auto_Zuerich_2023_1X7A1325.jpg","quote":"No, I know. Her Explorer had the 2.3 liter eco-boost in her Explorer.","canonicalId":"car:ford:explorer","priority":0.7,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"Alexander-93 (CC BY-SA 4.0)"}}],"speakers":[{"id":"s1","name":"Chris Smith","role":"host"}],"transcripts":[{"url":"http://getcarcurious.com/episodes/005-top-10-best-selling-electric-vehicles-of-2025-real-talk-with-courage/transcript.vtt","type":"text/vtt"}]}